Clooney hopes Trump presidency won't spawn 'terrible things'

LONDON (AP) — George Clooney didn't vote for Donald Trump and doesn't think he's the right choice to run the United States. But he hopes Trump succeeds in office.

"We have to hope that he can do a decent job, because when the president of the United States fails, really terrible things happen," Clooney said Monday at London reception for Syria rescue-workers documentary "The White Helmets."

Clooney, who supported Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in the presidential contest, said the United States has generally been lucky in its presidents.

"When we needed a first president, we had George Washington," he said. "We had Jefferson, Adams.

"When we had the Civil War, we had Lincoln," he added, rattling off other office-holders — Roosevelt, Kennedy — before suggesting that the U.S. "got a little unlucky" with the George W. Bush presidency in the years after 9/11.

"I think we're going to be a little unlucky now," Clooney said. "I can only hope for the best."

The actor defended fellow star Meryl Streep after she took aim at the president-elect in a speech at Sunday night's Golden Globe Awards.

In reply, Trump tweeted that Streep was "overrated" and a "flunky" of Clinton.

Clooney said that "I support her right forever" to speak out.

Clooney's production company is working on a feature-film version of the story of the Syrian Civil Defense "White Helmets," search-and-rescue teams who have gained international recognition for rescuing people from bombed-out buildings in the Syrian city of Aleppo.

He and his lawyer wife, Amal Clooney, have given their support to the Netflix-backed documentary, which is on the 10-strong Academy Awards shortlist for best documentary short.

Clooney said that as a celebrity, "I can't change policy ... but I can make things louder.

"The White Helmets are the heroes. So if I can help them out at all, and people can know about it, in any way possible, that's a good use of celebrity, I think."